Manufacturing microelectronic devices typically includes physically and/or chemically processing microelectronic substrates. For example, a layer of material can be added to microelectronic substrates with physical vapor deposition (PVD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), or atomic layer deposition (ALD) processes. A layer of material can also be removed from microelectronic substrates with dry etching, wet etching, chemical-mechanical polishing, or electrochemical-mechanical polishing processes. All of these processes can leave solid particles adsorbed onto surfaces of the microelectronic substrates. If not removed, the particles can adversely impact subsequent processing and/or the performance of microelectronic devices formed in the microelectronic substrates.
One conventional cleaning technique includes washing microelectronic substrates with an aqueous solution of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH), and/or hydrochloric acid (HCl) while applying physical energy (e.g., megasonic waves). However, as dimensions of microelectronic features (e.g., trenches, apertures, etc.) decrease, the applied physical energy may damage the ever smaller microelectronic features. If physical energy is not applied in the cleaning process, then the process tends to have low particle removal efficiencies. Accordingly, there is a need for improved cleaning systems and methods that can more effectively remove particles from microelectronic substrates without damaging the microelectronic features.